CXnovel Chapter 27 Kazan the Gravekeeper
Chapter 27 Kazan the Gravekeeper
As you venture deeper, the road becomes winding and twisting, flanked by towering, perforated, and dilapidated walls.
An even stronger sense of resentment filled the air, forming a faint sobbing sound that pierced the mind, causing restlessness and unease.
"Waaaaah...it hurts so much..."
"Why...betray..."
"...Hate...eternal hate..."
Suddenly, dozens of blurry, semi-transparent humanoid figures of light and shadow drifted out from the dark corridor ahead—[Wailing Ghosts].
They have no physical attack power, but pale white soul fire flickers in their eye sockets.
[Wailing Ghost] (Level 10)
[Rank: D]
【Life: 800】
Attack: 0
[Defense: 50]
【Speed: 70】
【Skill: Mental Scream: Consumes 30 mana, 10-second cooldown. Deals mental damage to a single target based on the target's mental attribute (the lower the target's mental attribute, the higher the damage), and inflicts the 【Confusion】 status (attacks/spellcasting have a 30% chance to fail), lasting 5 seconds.】
Soul Attachment: Costs 50 mana, 30-second cooldown. Attaches to a friendly non-ghost unit (such as a skeleton soldier), granting that unit [Ghost Shield] (absorbs 500 damage). The attacher also gains [Solidify], becoming vulnerable to physical attacks and able to use [Psychic Scream]. Attachment lasts until the ghost dies or is manually removed.
What's more troublesome is that ten [Skeleton Assassins] are lurking in the shadows beneath these ghosts.
They are small in stature, with black bones, wielding poisoned bone daggers, and their eyes flash with cunning and cruelty.
[Skeleton Assassin] (Level 10)
[Rank: D+]
【Life: 1500】
Attack: 200
[Defense: 80]
【Speed: 75】
[Skill: Stealth: After 3 seconds out of combat, enter stealth mode, movement speed is reduced by 50%, and the damage of the next attack is increased by 150%.]
Backstab: When attacking from behind, deals physical damage equal to 250% of attack power and inflicts [Poison] (causes 50 health loss per second for 10 seconds).
"Woo—!" A piercing shriek suddenly rang out! Several howling ghosts simultaneously unleashed [Mental Scream] on Lin Tian and the giant wolf!
Lin Tian felt as if he had been stabbed hard in the head with a needle, and a wave of dizziness washed over him ([Chaos] triggered!). The giant wolf beneath him let out a painful howl, its speed noticeably slowed, and a hint of confusion appeared in its eyes.
At the same time, the skeletal assassins in the shadows moved! Like venomous snakes blending into the darkness, they instantly entered stealth mode, silently approaching Lin Tian and the giant wolf from various tricky angles, using the holes in the walls and the debris as cover! A ghostly green venomous light gleamed on their daggers!
"Mental attack? Stealth backstab? You're quite the combo master!" Lin Tian endured the stinging pain in his head and the discomfort of the failed spell (due to the chaotic state), but his eyes remained unusually calm.
He instantly saw through the mechanics of this level: he had to deal with the wraiths that could cause control and interference first, especially those that were about to "possess" the assassins!
"Freeze!" Lin Tian forcefully gathered his magic power and pointed it at a ghost that was casting [Mental Scream] on a giant wolf.
call out!
A chilling blue current swept by, hitting its target precisely!
-3420!
The ghost let out a miserable cry and instantly froze and shattered!
At the same time, Lin Tian's mind raced, and he ordered the giant wolf, "Buddy, scatter them! Use area-of-effect attacks!"
The giant wolf barely regained its senses from the chaos, roared, and activated [Rapid Strike], charging towards the densely packed ghosts! [Triple Claw Strike] was activated! Sharp claw shadows covered a fan-shaped area in front of it!
*Thud thud thud!* Several ghosts that couldn't dodge in time were torn apart by the claw shadows!
-100! -100! -100! (Physical attacks are halved in effectiveness against spirits)
This collision not only disrupted the ghosts' formation but also forced several ghosts attempting to use [Soul Attachment] on the assassin to interrupt their spellcasting!
"Now! Fireball!" Lin Tian seized the opportunity, ignoring the effects of the chaotic state, and forcefully locked onto a skeletal assassin that had just emerged from stealth and was about to pounce on the giant wolf!
Boom!
The blazing white fireball exploded almost the instant the assassin's dagger was thrust out!
-4940!
The horrific explosion engulfed the assassin and two unfortunate ghosts nearby!
The battle instantly intensified! The shrieks of ghosts, the stealthy attacks of assassins, the roars and bites of giant wolves, and Lin Tian's ice and fire spells clashed together! Light and shadow intertwined, and energy surged within the corridor!
Although he was occasionally disturbed by [Mental Scream] or poisoned by [Backstab] (fortunately, his health was high enough that the poison damage was not painful), Lin Tian still firmly controlled the battle thanks to his super high magic attack, precise control of the field, and the assistance of the giant wolf.
A dozen minutes later, the corridor fell silent again. The wailing of the ghosts and the stealthy movements of the assassins had vanished.
【叮！击杀哀嚎幽魂x25！经验值+50x25！提升点+1x25！】
【叮！击杀骸骨暗杀者x10！经验值+100x10！提升点+1x10！】
Lin Tian found a [Soul Condensation Crystal] (a special item) in the ashes left behind by a skeletal assassin.
Inside the crystal, there seems to be a fragment of a soul filled with extreme pain and resentment sealed away.
Upon touching it, fragmented memories flooded the mind: Inside a magnificent palace, a figure in splendid robes poured a bottle of liquid shimmering with an ominous purple light into a massive energy pool connected to the city's ley lines… accompanied by maniacal laughter:
"...For power...what does betrayal matter?...Lord of Souls...accept my sacrifice!..."
After passing through the Ghost Corridor, a relatively complete complex of buildings appeared ahead, with a mausoleum-style building in the center made of huge black square stones, and the gate was tightly closed.
A figure dressed in a tattered scholar's robe, with a hunched back, but whose eyes burned with two unusually bright, ghostly blue soul flames that seemed to still retain a trace of reason, stood quietly in front of the gate, leaning on a twisted bone staff.
He was surrounded by necromantic energy far purer than that of ordinary undead, and even carried a hint of... the weight of knowledge.
Kazan, the Gravekeeper
[Level: 10]
[Rank: C]
【HP: 15000】
[Spell Attack: 300]
[Defense: 200]
【Speed: 60】
[Mana Points: 3000/3000]
[Skill: Curse of Knowledge: Passive. Kazan's attacks have a 30% chance to inflict the [Ignorance] status on the target (reduces all attributes by 10% for 10 seconds).]
Arcane Missile Barrage: Costs 150 mana, 8-second cooldown. Instantly fires 5 arcane missiles, each dealing 180% of spell damage.
Undead Knowledge Shield: Costs 300 mana, 25-second cooldown. Summons a shield composed of ancient text that absorbs 5000 damage for 15 seconds or until broken. While the shield is active, Kazan is immune to crowd control effects.
Summon Knowledge Manifestation: Consumes 500 mana, 60-second cooldown. Summons 3 massive magical tomes burning with ghostly blue flames. The tomes automatically attack enemies (2000 HP, 250 ATK, 100 DEF) and continuously release a [Curse of Knowledge] aura (10-meter radius) around them. The tomes disappear when killed or after 20 seconds.
Final solution: Triggered when health drops below 20%. Kazan sacrifices all remaining mana to unleash a devastating arcane explosion on the target area based on its remaining mana.